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Rijkaard in Ronaldinho admission

Frank Rijkaard has admitted that he believes Ronaldinho has played his last game for Barcelona.

By Lucas Brown

Last Updated: 28/04/08 9:09am

Frank Rijkaard has admitted that he believes Ronaldinho has played his last game for Barcelona and refused to commit his own future to the club.

The Dutch coach was talking on Catalan television when he opened up about what lies ahead for the Brazilian superstar and for himself and he reverted away from his usual conservative style.

When asked whether Ronaldinho would leave in the summer, he replied: "You would have to think so."

Rijkaard was then keen to tell people not to think of the forward in his last few months, but instead for his time as the Camp Nou favourite when he lifted the club single-handedly.

"It is a shame, but I am with him. Nobody should forget everything that he has done for this club. I truly hope that he can go out and show the world that he can still play. That time will come and he will need to react well," the coach said.

"One must remember everything the way it happened. I did not over-protect him. He is a player that never caused any problems."

Rijkaard's future

When asked about his own position, Rijkaard stated that he was only thinking about this season and would see what lies ahead in the summer after talks with the Barca board.

"I am very excited and want to complete my task. Then we shall see. The club has always helped me a lot, but we will have to see what is best for everyone," he continued.

Looking ahead to the trip to Manchester United, Rijkaard is confident that Barcelona can win and believes that will only happen if his side stick to their principles.

"It is a difficult place to go and they have a strong team, but I believe we can qualify. United are a team that will not be afraid. They play like they know and have a strong mentality and a lot of talent," he added.

"They do not complicate things. They will go forward more than in Camp Nou and that could give us a chances. Defending is not our style. We need to worry only about the way we play.